"Our sacred duty is to prevent an education catastrophe," - Archdiocesan Synod of the UGCC to government representatives

This is stated in the pastoral letter of the Archdiocesan Synod of the UGCC in Ukraine, "The Word to Educators".

"We call on you and the Church to listen to educators who clearly outline their needs and desires. We ask the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, if possible, to minimize the bureaucratic burden that hinders educators from realizing their creative talents. We have a sacred duty to do everything possible to prevent an educational catastrophe, which has turned into a humanitarian problem in Ukraine not for the first time. We need to jointly invest in what may not be profitable at first glance: in supporting educators, ensuring educational institutions, especially in rural areas; in establishing the educational process at all levels. This means that we must find resources so that Ukrainian institutions of preschool, general secondary, vocational, professional higher and higher education can work on the reconstruction of the state," the document reads.

Here is the full text of the letter:

PASTORAL LETTER
Archdiocesan Synod of the UGCC in Ukraine
"WORD TO EDUCATORS"

"Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to Me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 19:14).

Dear educators!

During the last decade of war, the sphere of education, as a fundamental part of Ukraine's social, humanitarian, and human capital, has suffered significant losses. It is already evident that the enemy is waging a war, particularly against Ukrainian education. Deliberate destruction of educational infrastructure (more than 400 educational institutions, including 200 secondary education institutions) and the impossibility of full-fledged education of children due to shelling, deaths of educators and students, interruptions in education due to complete power outages, air alarms, displacement of people, and temporary occupation of territories are components of the destruction of the Ukrainian people's identity by Russians.

War has invaded the educational sphere and immediately exacerbated the problem of educational losses and gaps that began earlier against the backdrop of restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. The conditions under which education took place during the first year of full-scale invasion were unprecedented, with only 15% of educational institutions operating in person. Today, we are faced with alarming statistics describing the state of Ukrainian schoolchildren and educators: 75% of children show signs of stress or psychological trauma following the start of full-scale war; 54% of educators have experienced burnout syndrome. We are aware of the distressing results of the international PISA study, according to which Ukrainian schoolchildren lag behind their peers from participating countries by about one and a half years in mathematics and natural sciences and almost two and a half years in reading. We see a significant gap in educational outcomes between rural and urban areas: students from rural areas lag behind their peers from large cities in reading by almost five years and in natural sciences by four years. Differences in levels of educational achievement between rural and urban education are not only an educational issue but also a social one.

In the 2023-2024 school year, approximately 200,000 children are deprived of access to education, do not possess the cross-cutting competencies of the New Ukrainian School, and lack skills in critical thinking and learning.

Today, we turn our attention to you, Ukrainian educators, as a unique point of steadfastness for children and their parents. We direct to you words of boundless gratitude because, by conscientiously continuing your work, you are the ones they can find support in. You have become bearers of psychological peace for our families.

It is important to note that the foundation for the development of a child as a person lies in upbringing within the family. Fathers and mothers, the first and foremost teachers for their children, are participants in the educational process in Ukraine. Article 55 of the Law of Ukraine "On Education" recognizes that parents have equal rights and responsibilities regarding the education and development of their child. Essentially, this legislative norm enshrines the natural order of things that totalitarianism suppressed and actively replaced with the dominance of the state as the "principal customer" of educational services. Parents are obliged to instill in the child a culture of dialogue, teach them to live in mutual understanding, peace, and harmony with all peoples, ethnic, national, and religious groups.

Speaking of educational losses, we in no way place the responsibility for them solely on you, teachers. These losses are not due to any teacher's lack of commitment to their work, but rather due to the circumstances in which our children find themselves, which inevitably caused this negative phenomenon.

Therefore, we express special gratitude to educators who have remained in their educational institutions during these difficult times. You are under pressure not only from the challenges of war but also from paperwork and formal reports. We admire your choice because it is a true feat to fulfill a noble mission in dark times. "You are the light of the world" (Mt 5:14).

The Church today, as centuries ago, stands beside you, desiring greatly to support you, to have you "shine". "Teach the youth how to live! Awaken in them a desire and eagerness for what is the foundation of the nation's wealth and strength. Let even the smallest children learn to love their land — their Homeland — and learn to work for it," wrote the servant of God Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky, the leading advocate for the expansion of Catholic education as a driving force in state-building (Pastoral Letters. — Volume I. — Toronto, 1965. — p. 13). Today, the Church arms itself with these words because the work and calling of an educator is a great building of the future of Ukraine.

"To educate the heart of the nation" — this was the motto of the founders of the first educational centers, known as "zaohronky," which operated in the 1930s under the churches and monasteries of the UGCC. Dear educators, teachers, and lecturers, a great responsibility and hope are placed upon you. You are a great asset to our nation!

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest!" (Mt 11:28) calls the Lord. The Church, making efforts and utilizing all its possibilities, seeks today to serve you, therefore, we ask you to accept assistance and be open to cooperation.

We address representatives of various levels of government. The fate of children, youth, educators, and Ukrainian education as a whole depends on your decisions. Together with the Church, we call on you to listen to educators who clearly outline their needs and wishes. We ask the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, if possible, to minimize the bureaucratic burden that hinders educators from realizing their creative talents. We have a sacred duty to do everything to prevent an educational catastrophe, which, not for the first time, has turned into a humanitarian problem in Ukraine. We need to jointly invest in what may not seem profitable at first glance: in support of educators, in ensuring educational institutions, especially in rural areas; in establishing the educational process at all levels. This means that we must find resources so that Ukrainian institutions of preschool, general secondary, vocational, professional, and higher education can work towards the reconstruction of the state.

Thank you to everyone who is building Ukrainian education today and will build it in the future! And may the Lord bless us in this noble cause, for "unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain" (Ps 127:1).

Divine blessings upon you!

On behalf of the Archdiocesan Synod
of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in Ukraine

† SVYATOSLAV

written at St Mary Spiritual Center in Zarvanytsia,
on the feast day of St.Theodore the Sanctified, disciple of St. Pachomius,
May 16, 2024 A.D.